The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-08-27

The Malcvoleut Pests OF an Unhappy
civilization.


learn with great pleasure that the
Royal Society Of England at It's last
meeting listened to paper on flies, and
ordered 1t to be printed. am very
anxious to see that paper. As rule.
literary and scieptiac men have avoid
ed the subject Of the fly. He has been
mentioned in but q few select poems;
only one song. three Jolly Flies" has
been written in his honor, and the
encyclopaedia merly calls him Mucsa
valgaris, and says he has six legs. q
polygamous complexion, and breaths
through his ears. And yet l believe
that through the long and golden
days of summer, through the balsam-
scented atumn and the season Of yell
lowing fields and purple twilight the
poet, the philosopher and the man Of
crucibles and big language have each
been given by benefcent Providence
noble and frequent opportunities Of OBJ
serving the beauties of the fly.
myself have studied flies for years.
and each spring, when wind and leaf
and bird are attuned to hymn the COM
ing Of summer, I find myself thought
fully taking up the subject again.
Is anything more innocent or moral
than the flS? His ethical code permits
him to do just as he pleases, and from
this simple but beautiful rule Of life
nothing can tempt him to depart Take
fly as you will, young or old. fat or
emaoiated, and you can see no flaw in
his morals. Such as 1t is. his character
is without q blemish.
How earnest and yet how naive is
the mind of youthful fly. He has no
vanity. Nature gave him drab body,
q brown head with silver stripe down
the middle, six contorted legs, pair
Of gauze wings and talent for unre-
hitting cussedness, and with these few
and primitive materials he makes him
self of more Importance in the world
than the Siamese elephant or the
blubbery whale. I have known great
men. deep in some complex problem Of
vital interest to millions, to break
violently from their labor to enjoy an
hour or two of communion with one
light-hearted fly.
A fly is modest and unassuming. He
may be able to twist his legs into hard
knots, 60 to sleep upside down, waltz
in midair. maintain one steady line of
uproarious conduct for thirty-four days
without drawing breath and perform
other almost Incredible feats Of endur-
ance and dexterity, yet he never blows
about anything except steak. He
never obtrudes an opinion. However
deep his conviction on any subject he
only specks so-never is certain.
l awoke the other morning at day
break. I had wrapped the drapery Of
my couch about me at 8 A. NJ. and had
contemplated sleeping more than an
hour, but just as morn drew the astral
tapestry and Cyrus Fields milk wagon
Jared the perfumed silence of Ora
mercy Park, I emerged from the glory
issued canopy of my childish dreams
greeted by three buoyant and COM
panionable flies.
The Oldest and most deliberate fly
had assembled to the summit erected by
my knees, and was still engaged in
personal adornment. He gave his
goggles careful polish with his fore
legs, balanced himself on his middle
legs, BRAIDED his hind legs and unravel-
led them again with amazing rapidity.
Then he gave himself a brisk rubbing
down all over and cracked his heels in
sudden and ribald manner. He
lifted his wings, secured their interior
with the ball of his toes. tied his CEN
trail legs into hard knot united them.
curried himself gently on the side and
INDUCED his head in dry shampoo.
Having limbered up by this massage,
he tried his buzz, found 1t satisfactory,
vaulted lightly into.thse air and took a
musical turn about the room. inserting
himself in my left ear at full speed.
and lodging out with q knocking laugh
Just in the nick of time.
The second fly, who was younger
and inclined to be funny, busted HIM
self with the soles of my feet while
the third had Just discovered a tunnel
under the sheet and, being of scientific